How to turn back the clock

by AMY ANDERSON, Daily Mail

28/02/2002 11:11:59

Last week, researchers at the University of California discovered that by feeding rats a combination of two antioxidants, they could slow down the animals' neurological and physical ageing processes by up to 40 per cent.

Antioxidants destroy free radicals - harmful by-products of the processes in the body that turn oxygen into energy.

Free radicals attack the body's tissues and, over time, cause or contribute to the symptoms of ageing, from memory loss to wrinkles, to cancer and circulatory disorders.

Here, we look at some of the most effective antioxidants and other anti-ageing products on the market, and explains how they can keep you youthful.

Green tea

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Green tea - the natural dried leaf of the tea plant - is high in polyphenols, a class of bioflavonoids which are powerful natural antioxidants.

The polyphenols in green tea are called catechins.The most important catechin in green tea is Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG).

EGCG is more than 200 times more powerful than Vitamin E in neutralising free radicals that attack lipids in the brain, and 20 times more potent than Vitamin E in reducing the formation of peroxides (enzymes that aid the oxidisation process).

EGCG has been shown to protect against digestive and respiratory infections. It also helps blocks carcinogens and protects the skin from ultraviolet light. Green tea can be found in most supermarkets and health food shops.

Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass comes from Red Wheatberry, a special strain of wheat that produces high concentrations of chlorophyll, active enzymes, vitamins and other nutrients. Wheatgrass juice is extracted from wheatgrass pulp (humans cannot digest straight wheatgrass) and is considered to be a powerful antioxidant for the blood.

Chlorophyll makes up more than 70per cent of the solid content of wheatgrass juice. It closely resembles the molecules of human red blood cells, as both chlorophyll and haemoglobin share a similar atomic structure.

Wheatgrass juice has been found to increase haemoglobin production. It also helps purify the liver, improve digestion and reduce high blood pressure.

Dosage: Start out with 1-2 oz of wheatgrass juice per day for the first week, which can gradually be increased to 4oz a day. Wheatgrass juice can be bought at most good health food stores.

Herbal elixir

Many specialists believe that absorption of synthetic chemicals in the foods we eat and dioxins and petrochemicals in the air may contribute to an acceleration of the ageing process, making detoxification crucial to anti-ageing.

The organs of detoxification are the liver and kidneys, aided by the digestive tract and the skin. Signs that the liver is not coping include skin problems such as liver spots, discoloured patches, spots and boils, tiredness and lethargy. Plants such as artichoke, wormwood, dandelion and gentian are known for stimulating the liver.

Classic signs that the kidneys cannot cope are aches and pains in muscles and joints, caused by a build-up of substances such as uric acid. Celery, dandelion and nettle are diuretics: they increase the amount of urine passed by stimulating the kidneys, so reducing symptoms of toxicity.

A blend of these plant extracts can be found in Green People's Herbal Elixir blend, which should be diluted with water and drunk once a day.

ACL is a powerful antioxidant. Studies at the University of California have found that ACL supplementation increases levels of an important brain molecule called acetylcholine, which becomes deficient in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.

By increasing levels of acetylcholine, ACL helps our memory work better. It also protects against loss of receptors in brain cells, without which we cannot form memories.

Other studies have found that ACL helps prevent damage that can occur to nerve cells when there is a lack of oxygen in the brain. In studies, stroke victims have been found to recover better on 1,500mg of ACL per day than those taking a placebo.

ACL also helps maintain the protective sheath around the nerves called the myelin, without which our nerves cannot transmit their messages effectively, and suggests that ACL might be useful in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

ACL should not be taken without medical supervision by pregnant women, those on prescription medication, or sufferers from epilepsy or depression. Recommended dosage is one 250mg capsule per day taken with juice or water in between meals.

Price: £28.95 for 30. From health food shops.

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA)

ALA is the second super antioxidant that was used in the Californian study. Though ALA is produced naturally in the body, researchers weren't aware of its existence until the 1930s. It is an essential coenzyme and a vital component of the metabolism of glucose into energy. It is also a powerful biological antioxidant.

In recent years, research into antioxidants revealed that vitamin E works as an antioxidant. But scientists found that vitamin E needs to be 'recycled'by vitamin C in the body in order to work, a process which requires the presence of a substance called glutathione.

Studies found ALA to be more powerful than either vitamin E or C, while single-handedly regenerating glutathione, giving cells a double dose of antioxidant protection. Studies have found that ALA could also have far-reaching consequences in the prevention of chronic degenerative diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

And because it's the only antioxidant that can easily get into the brain, it could be useful in preventing damage from a stroke and neurological disorders such as Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. ALA should not be taken without medical supervision by pregnant women, those on prescription medication, or suffering from epilepsy or depression. Recommended dosage: One 200mg capsule per day.